New Jersey's Christie just needs to get crazy

Thursday

Nov 14, 2013 at 6:00 AMNov 14, 2013 at 7:34 AM

By Dianne Williamson

Earlier this year, Tea Party Nation called New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie a "liberal Jell-O blob" after he expanded Medicaid.

When Christie was being considered as Mitt Romney's running mate, neoconservatives fumed in The National Review that he "sided with Islamic forces" because he embraced an imam and appointed a distinguished lawyer who happened to be Muslim to the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Never one to mince words, Christie lost patience when his court appointee was attacked for his faith.

"It's crazy. ... And I'm tired of dealing with crazies," he said.

Crazy doesn't even begin to cover it. But welcome to the new normal, brought to you by radical GOP forces who demand that their candidates breathe ideological fire and march in litmus-test lock-step.

In a saner political climate, Christie would be hailed as a potential savior of a party in dire need of saving. Instead, this charismatic, blunt-spoken GOP star is considered by many — especially those within the tea party and conservative Republican wings — as a liability.

The reason? He's too moderate. Translation? He's not crazy enough.

The 2016 presidential election is three years away, but an NBC News poll released Tuesday shows that the GOP is nearly split when it comes to Christie. Asked whether they'd prefer to vote for Christie or another primary candidate, 32 percent of Republicans and Republican leaners selected Christie, while 31 percent chose someone else. His support was highest in the Northeast and lowest in the South.

Christie is popular in his home state, won re-election in a landslide and boasts legitimate Republican credentials. A former U. S. attorney appointed by George W. Bush, he's fought with unions and slashed state spending. He's opposed same-sex marriage, abortion and the Affordable Care Act. He likes to say that Democrats raised taxes in New Jersey once every 25 days before he took office.

In what universe is this man unacceptable to the GOP? Well, Christie supports gun control. He thinks climate change is real. He digs Bruce Springsteen and once denounced an NRA ad as reprehensible.

But in what could be considered his worst sin of all, he — oh, the horror — threw his arms around the president of the United States for his support after Hurricane Sandy. According to the unofficial tea party playbook, you must never, ever thank the enemy, let alone hug one.

Luckily, here in blue state Massachusetts, the conservatives and those affiliated with the tea party are far less radical than their counterparts in the South and West. When asked about Christie, not one of them came close to foaming at the mouth.

"I get the impression that Christie is a competent governor," said Ken Mandile, a co-founder of the Worcester Tea Party.

"I think he's the model for Northeast Republicans," said state Rep. Peter Durant, a Republican from Spencer, who said he's not affiliated with the tea party but has attended some meetings. "It really irritates me when people talk about a litmus test, that someone's not Republican enough or not far enough to the right. We don't have to all agree on every issue. Personally, I think he'd make a great president. The American people say they want politicians who work together, and that's what Christie does."

Well slap my thigh and call me Shirley. Sure, some tea party sympathizers are round the bend. But others seem to recognize that Chris Christie is the best hope for a party on the verge of a breakdown. Let's hope for the sake of the GOP that they're able to make their voices heard.